Madonna has finally spoken out about Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," which sounded like the icon's "Express Yourself." Photo: Peter/startraksphoto.com

Gaga often seems to reference Madonna. Her white dress here feels like a nod to Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.”| (Dara Kushner/INFevents.com)

While many listeners were quick to call Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” a rip-off of Madonna’s “Express Yourself” both in melody and video styling, the Material Girl herself is only just now speaking out about the controversy.

In an interview with “20/20″ airing tonight, Madonna finally comments on whether she thinks Lady Gaga’s imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or straight-up plagiarism. In the interview, Cynthia McFadden asks Madonna, who is releasing her 13th studio album “M.D.N.A.” in March, about Gaga.

“She’s a very talented artist,” says Madonna, sitting on a floral coach in a blue sweater with sparkly shoulders.

“I certainly think she references me a lot in her work,” Madge continues. “Sometimes I think it’s amusing and flattering and well done. [She makes] a statement about taking something that was in the zeitgeist, you know, 20 years ago and turning it inside out and reinterpreting it.”

But Madonna demures from outright criticizing Gaga.

“There’s a lot of ways to look at it,” said Madonna. “I can’t really be annoyed by it because, obviously, I’ve influenced her.”

Still Madonna hinted that the emulation in “Born This Way,” which sounds much like Madonna’s 1989 hit, was a little too close for comfort.

“When I heard it on the radio, I said that sounds very familiar,” said Madonna. “It feels reductive.”

When asked about her choice of the word “reductive,” Madonna said, “Look it up.”

While the comment seemed dismissive, the two women certainly seem to get along in person. In 2010, they participated in an “SNL skit” where they had a hair-tugging catfight.

Gaga, when first faced with allegations that she had copied “Express Yourself” last year, simply gushed about her idol.

“I genuinely love her so much. I think she is so amazing,” said Gaga. “She could never be replicated and, yes, I’m Italian, I’m from New York, and not for nothing, it’s not my fault that I kind of look like her, right?”